I recently took a university course where we worked in small teams to create a Windows Phone 7 application in five days. This post highlights some of the pros and cons mentioned about the SDK and related tools (pre-Mango update).
Pros
- The freedom to choose either C# or Visual Basic as a programming language
- The simultaneous use of Expression Blend and Visual Studio 2010 makes it easy to work on UI design independently of underlying application logic
- Two-way data bindings
- Automatic memory management
- Every single Windows Phone 7 handset adheres to a set of baseline requirements
- Windows Azure
Cons
- Known issues with the SDK, e.g.
IsolatedStorage.ApplicationSettings - APIs yet to be implemented, e.g.
CivicAddressResolver.ResolveAddress - No proper multitasking on handsets
- The Windows Phone emulator: no support for GPS, multi-touch gestures on normal displays etc.
The disadvantages are relatively minor and will likely be addressed in the Mango update. With my limited five-day experience, I’d say Microsoft is off to en encouraging start with its mobile phone initiative.